Cirrus VK-30 Model Guide
Cirrus VK-30 · Model Guide
Overview
The Cirrus VK-30 is a composite, rear-engine pusher built as a homebuilt kit by Cirrus Design from 1988 to 1994. It is listed as a single-engine piston aircraft with 4 to 5 seats. The 1990 prototype report describes a four-place cabin and fast cruise from a Lycoming IO-540.
- Kit-built composite pusher. A 1990 report says eight kits were sold and deposits taken on 16 more, so expect one-off builds.
- Prototype cruised at 205 knots true airspeed at 4,500 ft, using about 15.5 gph at about 70 percent power.
- The engine drives the propeller through a long graphite-wrapped shaft and a dry fluid clutch. Inspect this system closely.
- Cruise flaps add about four to six knots, but the flap system is complex and needs careful checking.
Summary written by AI from the source document. Check the original before relying on it. See which parts of Sprinkle are written by AI.
Reference only, not for flight. Use the current approved manual for your aircraft. See terms, section 5.
Document
Source
Copy found at sprinkle.com. Sprinkle hosts a reference copy with an added summary, specifications and searchable full text.
Document details
- Type ·
- Model Guide
- Year ·
- 2026
- File size ·
- 45 KB
- Copy found at ·
- sprinkle.com
Specifications & performance
Extracted from this document.
Specifications
- Engine (hp) ·
- 290
- Drive shaft length (in) ·
- 78
- Propeller diameter (in) ·
- 74
Performance
- Fuel flow (gph) ·
- 15.5
- Cruise speed (kt) ·
- 205
- Cruise altitude (ft) ·
- 4,500
What does the Cirrus VK-30 cruise at?
The Cirrus VK-30 prototype cruised at 205 knots true airspeed at 4,500 ft, at about 70 percent power and about 15.5 gph. Production aircraft with a 300-hp Lycoming were expected to cruise at about 220 knots at 75 percent power at 5,500 ft.
Is the Cirrus VK-30 a certified production aircraft?
No. The Cirrus VK-30 was a homebuilt kit. The 1990 report says eight kits were built and sold, with deposits on 16 more. Condition and equipment will vary from one aircraft to the next.
How many people does the Cirrus VK-30 seat?
The Cirrus VK-30 is listed with 4 to 5 seats. The 1990 report describes a four-place cabin with a rear bench seat. A later article calls it a five-place pusher.
What should I inspect on a Cirrus VK-30?
On a Cirrus VK-30, check the drive shaft and dry fluid clutch, the propeller oil line and its chafe points, the flap tracks and cruise flap actuators, and the engine cooling fan and cowl flap.
What is the Cirrus VK-30 Model Guide?
The Cirrus VK-30 Model Guide is a model guide for the Cirrus VK-30, dated 2026.
What year was the Cirrus VK-30 Model Guide published?
The Cirrus VK-30 Model Guide — the Cirrus VK-30 model guide on file — is dated 2026.
Most owners only have the POH. Here's the essential set for the Cirrus VK-30.
- Pilot's Operating Handbook / AFM
- Checklist
- Maintenance Manual
- Parts Catalog (IPC)
- Systems & Wiring
- Service Bulletins on file
- Type Certificate (TCDS)
More Cirrus VK-30manuals & documents
- Cloud Chamber Studies on the Linear Depolarisation Ratio of Small Cirrus Ice CrystalsOther Documents
- Cloud Chamber Studies on the Linear Depolarisation Ratio of Small Cirrus Ice CrystalsOther Documents
- General Aviation Cover StoryOther Documents
- Installationlist Report No.: E-546Maintenance Manual
- Cirrus VK30 PrototypePilot's Operating Handbook
- Wiring Diagram for Cirrus VK-30Wiring Diagrams
In this document
Layout and cabin
The VK-30 is a four-place pusher with the engine behind the cabin on the aft wing. Entry is by a clamshell airstair door on the right side. A small baggage area sits behind the rear bench seat. Front occupants step through a narrow aisle between the two front seats.
Drive system and engine
The prototype used a 290-hp Lycoming IO-540. The engine drives a 78 x 4-inch graphite-wrapped aluminum shaft through a dry fluid clutch to a 12-inch steel stub shaft. The prototype propeller was a three-blade, 74-inch composite and wood unit. The report says the shaft was mostly trouble-free over 450 flight hours.
Flaps and known issues
Cruise flaps on the Fowler flap trailing edges trim the angle of attack and can be moved independently for roll trim. On the prototype the flap-track bushings bound under load, and the report says bearings were to replace them. The long oil line to the propeller governor made the propeller slow to respond.
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Safety notes
- In the prototype, the oil line chafed on a bulkhead and broke. The engine seized and the crew landed in a plowed field. Inspect the oil line routing and chafe points.
- Prototype Fowler flap-track bushings bound under air loads unless the cruise flaps were unloaded first. Check the flap tracks and actuators for binding.
- The engine sits inside the fuselage and is cooled by a ground fan and one electric cowl flap. Check these cooling components.
Summary written by AI from the source document. Check the original before relying on it. See which parts of Sprinkle are written by AI.
Full document text
Cirrus VK-30 Model Guide The Cirrus VK-30 is a composite, rear-engine pusher built as a homebuilt kit by Cirrus Design from 1988 to 1994. It is listed as a single-engine piston aircraft with 4 to 5 seats. The 1990 prototype report describes a four-place cabin and fast cruise from a Lycoming IO-540. • Kit-built composite pusher. A 1990 report says eight kits were sold and deposits taken on 16 more, so expect one-off builds. • Prototype cruised at 205 knots true airspeed at 4,500 ft, using about 15.5 gph at about 70 percent power. • The engine drives the propeller through a long graphite-wrapped shaft and a dry fluid clutch. Inspect this system closely. • Cruise flaps add about four to six knots, but the flap system is complex and needs careful checking. Layout and cabin The VK-30 is a four-place pusher with the engine behind the cabin on the aft wing. Entry is by a clamshell airstair door on the right side. A small baggage area sits behind the rear bench seat. Front occupants step through a narrow aisle between the two front seats. Drive system and engine The prototype used a 290-hp Lycoming IO-540. The engine drives a 78 x 4-inch graphite-wrapped aluminum shaft through a dry fluid clutch to a 12-inch steel stub shaft. The prototype propeller was a three-blade, 74-inch composite and wood unit. The report says the shaft was mostly trouble-free over 450 flight hours. Flaps and known issues Cruise flaps on the Fowler flap trailing edges trim the angle of attack and can be moved independently for roll trim. On the prototype the flap-track bushings bound under load, and the report says bearings were to replace them. The long oil line to the propeller governor made the propeller slow to respond. Safety notes: • In the prototype, the oil line chafed on a bulkhead and broke. The engine seized and the crew landed in a plowed field. Inspect the oil line routing and chafe points. • Prototype Fowler flap-track bushings bound under air loads unless the cruise flaps were unloaded first. Check the flap tracks and actuators for binding. • The engine sits inside the fuselage and is cooled by a ground fan and one electric cowl flap. Check these cooling components.